GARDAÍ are reminding students who are returning to their studies in Limerick in the coming weeks to beware of widespread rental scams.
This comes as Gardaí have revealed that up to one third of rental accommodation scams take place between August and September each year – peak times for students trying to secure accommodation for their return to college.
According to Gardaí, 12 scam victims reported losses of almost €21,000 in July alone, ranging from “small” €380 stings to one victim losing out on €1,729 to scammers.
Two of the 12 victims were in the process of moving to Ireland when they were scammed, losing out on €5,515 between them, a Garda spokeswoman said.
Gardaí say the most common platform for scammers to target victims is through social media or online adverts, with eight of the 12 victims in July coming into contact with scammers online.
The most common rental scams come in the form of a fraudster claiming they are out of the country and can’t show the property until a deposit is paid, Gardaí said, leaving the prospective renter down a sum of money for a property that may not even exist.
Another common rental scam involves fraudsters showing a property to numerous people, taking a deposit from them, and then vanishing with the cash.
Despite the warnings, Gardaí say that there has been an 11 per cent decrease in the numbers of rental scams being reported, and urged those who are looking for accommodation to remain vigilant to the possibility of being hit by scammers.
Figures from An Garda Síochána show that 34 per cent of victims of accommodation fraud are aged under 25, with 66 per cent of victims under the age of 33.
The Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB) have advised that there are a number of red flags to look out for when looking for rental accommodation.
They said that “if the rent seems too good to be true, then it probably is”, and that if the property is only advertised on social media and the only form of communication that the person will use is Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp, and if answers are vague, those on the receiving end should disengage immediately.
Gardaí advised people to do their own research on any property they’re looking to rent, to only look for properties through genuine agencies or websites, including college student unions, and never rent a property without viewing it first.
They also advised home hunters to never agree to renting a property without viewing it, ensure the keys work before handing over any money, and ideally meet the landlord in person before committing to any leases.
